Dynamics, Plasticity and Evolvability of bacterial small regulatory RNAs

小rna是最近加入遗传调控库的新成员，在细菌、植物和动物的关键生物过程中发挥着核心作用。定量了解小rna的调控特性，分子和细胞过程如何影响它们，以及它们如何适应和进化，是理解调控网络设计原则和进化的关键。在这个项目中，PI将研究小调控RNA及其靶mrna的特性如何影响RNA调控的效率、噪声特征和可进化性。这些特性包括序列和结构的分子特性，以及翻译速率和稳定性等功能特性。定量实验和理论研究将协同使用，以跨越多个尺度，从分子水平到细胞功能和进化动力学。本研究的结果有望揭示小RNA在各种途径中所起的作用，并为将序列数据映射到小RNA -靶标相互作用及其进化的特性提供工具。更广泛的影响。该项目是分子生物物理学和定量生物学之间的桥梁，是真正的跨学科方法的典范。该项目预计将引起来自各个学科的年轻研究人员的兴趣，PI将通过建立一个讨论小组来跟进该项目，为学生提供体验这类研究的机会。PI正在开发一门针对高级本科生和研究生的新课程，该课程将从定量的角度讨论生物系统的光谱，并发展复杂生物系统建模的理论和实践方面。小RNA调控将是本课程的中心主题。

Small RNAs, the recent addition to the repertoire of genetic regulators, play central roles in key biological processes in bacteria, plants and animals. Quantitative understanding of the regulatory properties of small RNAs, how molecular and cellular processes influence them, and how they can adapt and evolve, is key to understanding the design principles and evolution of regulatory networks. In this project the PI will study how properties of small regulatory RNA and their target mRNAs affect the efficiency, noise features, and evolvability of RNA regulation. Such properties include molecular features of sequence and structure, and functional properties such as translation rate and stability. Quantitative experiments and theoretical studies will be employed synergistically to bridge multiple scales, from the molecular level to cellular functionality and evolutionary dynamics. The results of this study are expected to shed new light on the role played by small RNAs in various pathways and to provide tools that map sequence data into properties of small RNA - target interaction and its evolution. Broader Impact. This project bridges between molecular biophysics and quantitative biology, and exemplifies a true inter-disciplinary approach. It is expected to be of interest to young researchers from a wide range of disciplines, and the PI will provide an opportunity for students to experience this type of research by establishing a discussion group that would follow the project. The PI is developing a new course intended for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, which will discuss a spectrum of biological systems from a quantitative perspective, and develop the theoretical and practical aspects of modeling complex biological systems. Small RNA regulation will serve as a central theme in this course.